US regrets, but understands, Netanyahu's absence at summit

(WARNING): Article contains propaganda!

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Washington - US President Barack Obama regrets that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won't attend a major nuclear security summit next week but understands his reason for not participating, a senior US official said Friday.

"The Israelis did not want to be a catalyst for changing the theme of the summit," James Jones, Obama's national security adviser, told reporters during a flight back to Washington from Prague.

Obama is hosting the two-day summit that begins Monday and will include the leaders of more than 40 countries. The summit is focused on shoring up security to ensure that nuclear-related material does not end up in the hands of terrorists.

An Israeli official earlier said Netanyahu will not attend out of concern other countries in the Middle East will use the forum to divert attention away from the main issue in order to politically attack Israel.

Israel is believe to posses about 200 nuclear bombs but does not publicly acknowledge having atomic weapons and is not a member of the 1970 nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

"We have information that a number of countries intend to seize that opportunity in order to divert the attention of the summit and engage in an anti-Israel campaign during and around the discussion," an Israeli official told the German Press Agency.

Jones said Obama was happy with Israel's decision to send Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor in Netanyahu's place and that the Israeli delegation will still be "robust."

"We'll be sorry that the prime minister can't be there, but we're delighted that we'll have a very, very good Israeli delegation," Jones said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/317901,us-regrets-but-understands-netanyahus-absence-at-summit.html.